For anyone who wants to know how much a safari cost in Kenya. I’ll make an effort to respond this question to my best ability and even give you several examples in the process.

Typically the average cost of a safari through in Kenya is USD $3000 for the 10-day Safari within Kenya. Budget safaris cost around $1700 while Luxury Safaris would cost much as $10,000. These prices do not include international flights, visa fees, and medical insurance. All of these types of safaris will have wildlife viewing and some consist time at the beach. Let me personally break down what you expect to spend when coming for a Kenyan safari and various good examples of tours and their cost structures. I have travelled to Kenya and visited many popular national parks and this makes me give expert recommendations.

Here is a short table summarizing the cost structures for the Safaris in Kenya.

           Safari                                     Cost (USD)

Budget Safaris                   $1,500

Mid-Range Safari              $3,600

Luxury Safari                      $10,000

I implore you to Note: I have never had to use tours and travel companies who have organized tours with my visits to the National parks in Kenya. This is because it always been more rational for us as Kenyans to use our own vehicles to visit the parks since it is more economical and all sorts of my visits to the several national parks could be completed within a day. Because of this my advice will be a little bit limited and may be overlooking some aspects. To pay for this, I actually did almost a week of research when preparing for this article and contacted the tours and travels companies mentioned below to get a correct picture of the actual costs of doing a safari in Kenya.

Cost: $1,000 – $1,700

Nearly all budget safaris will probably be bare-bones and is going to add the essentials of which would constitute a good safari. Overnight accommodation for these kinds of tours would usually possibly be in basic outdoor tents with basic amenities like a shower area and bathroom. In the event you will probably be booked to a hotel that usually will be budget hotels without having frills.

As an example, look at this kind of Budget Safari by Sight View Safaris that is restricted for 18 to 29-year-olds. The new budget safari tour that takes you to Maasai Mara and Serengeti. Most nights will probably be spent in outdoor tents and the tour is often a group tour where you share transport.

The amenities usually included in these kinds of budget safaris include:

1. Meals: Breakfast Lunch and Supper
2. Transport: By Four-wheel drive safari vehicles
3. Accommodation: In tented camps and budget hotels
4. Activities: Game drives in the national parks, and sometimes will include visits to indigenous people like the Maasai villages.
5. Park fees: budget safaris usually include park entry fees into the cost of the safari and you will not need to worry about paying for them.
6. A professional driver/guide: good safari companies hire professional drivers who also act as guides for your safari.
7. All transportation: once the tour starts.
8. Drinking water: this is an essential one since, as I have written in this article it is not advisable for foreigners to drink tap water in Kenya.

What they don’t include

Due to the fact that these are budget safaris, they would have very few frills and would NOT include the following

1. Transfers to and from the airport: transfers from international airports to the start of your Safari would usually require an additional payment.
2. Accommodation before and after the Safari Starts: If you will be arriving the day before your safari starts or planning to stay one or two days after your safari ends you will need to pay for the accommodation yourself.
3. Local Flights: while flights are very convenient in helping you get around Kenya they are also not cheap and would not be included in most budget safaris.
4. Special Meals & Drinks: on some occasions, you may need to cater for your own drink bills or pay for any special meals that may not be within the budget of your safari.

The majority of mid-range safaris in Kenya will consist of time at the beach. They include much more comfort and ease than budget safaris and they are more suitable for an average tourist. Accommodation is generally a lot more comfortable and will be situated in hotels that are more high quality and comfortable. A few would also consist of cultural interactions along with the locals for example. visiting a Maasai Village or communicating with the nearby communities close to the parks or beaches.

The amenities usually included in these kinds of  mid-range safaris include:

1. Meals: Breakfast Lunch and Supper for the length of your safari
2. Transport: By 4×4 safari vehicles and sometimes some flights are included
3. Accommodation: In hotels and/or well-equipped camps
4. Activities: These include:

• Game drives in less crowded vehicles
• Sometimes it will include visits to indigenous people but the Maasai villages.
• Visit to the Kenyan Coast

5. Park fees: Usually included
6. A professional driver/guide: Essential for local knowledge and helping to spot difficult-to-spot animals.
7. All transportation: and would usually include airport transfers
8. Drinking water:

What they don’t include

Even though you may be paying more for your safari than a budget traveler, there are few things that would not be included

1. Accommodation before and after the Safari Starts: you would still need to make your own arrangements if you will be arriving earlier than the scheduled time of the safari or spending a few days in Kenya after your safari is complete
2. Flights: While some flights may be included, most Kenyan safaris would still have a lot of overland travel in a 4×4 Safari vehicle.
3. Some drinks and meals: Since many mid-range safaris would be accommodated in nice hotels and budget homes you would expect to find better food and drinks but there will be a limitation to this.

Cost USD $4,000 – $ 13,000

These are the top-of-the-line safari experience and would be some of the most exclusive and high ticket Safaris. They give a high degree of customization and would even enable you to determine what kind of activities you would probably want to have in your Safari. Accommodation would usually be in five-star hotels and lodges that are exclusive and picturesque. These would definitely include interactions with the local culture if that’s something you happen to be considering and the interactions would be intimate and exclusive.

Since these are the most expensive safaris you expect to have in Kenya, they would not hold anything back in terms of the amenities provided. An example of what you would expect in these safaris include:

1. International Flights (At an Extra Fee): While other safaris would not offer international flights, luxury tour experiences would include international flights but at an additional cost to you. The benefit of this is that you do not have to hassle with trying to find tickets to get you to Kenya.
2. English-Speaking Resident Tour Managers and Local Guides: These guides would be more refined than any of the other tiers and would be better trained to handle you as a tourist.
3. Private Vehicle & Guides: These luxury safaris usually come in private vehicles and would not be shared with other tourists who you do not know
4. Hand-Picked 5 Star Luxury Accommodations: The safari companies organizing these itineraries would pick the very best hotels in the Kenya safari circuit for the guests. These accommodations would come with amenities like these by Sanctuary Olonana in the Masai Mara:
5. Luxury rooms with freestanding bathtubs
6. Additional connecting bedroom for children
7. Fully open floor-to-ceiling windows
8. Wraparound private decking area and infinity pool overlooking the river
9. Private vehicle and safari guide
10. Private lounge and dining area
11. Exquisite meals freshly-prepared by an in-suite chef
12. Fully stocked private bar with premium drinks
13. Airport Meet and Greet with Private Transfers: Unlike other safaris that would expect you to meet in a predefined location. luxury safaris would organize someone to pick you up from the airport.
14. Luggage Handling: luxury safaris will handle your luggage for you and they usually hire staff dedicated to helping you carry any heavy luggage.
15. Breakfast in Bed: Since the accommodations that you will be using will be 5-star and high-end, things like breakfast in bed are not uncommon.
16. Your Choice of Activity: in some of the luxury safaris in Kenya, You get to decide what kinds of activities you would like on your safari and custom-design the experiences.
17. Internet Access: Many safari camps and lodges are located in very remote areas that do not usually have good connectivity. However, luxury safari destinations would go out of their way to provide decent internet connectivity.
18. Laundry Service

Despite these categories, there are some big differences in price. A Kenya safari cost of $900 per night is a lot more than $600 per night for example.

The main factors which affect your Kenya safari cost are:

• Time of Year
• Mode of Getting Around
• Choice of Camp
• How many flights

Time of Year

This is the big one. Particularly so in Kenya where so much is made of the yearly wildebeest migration from Tanzania to the Masai Mara of southern Kenya. The peak moment for the wildebeest migration in Mara is by mid-July to September/October. This varies every year depending on the rains.

This is the most expensive and even busiest time of a year to embark on a safari. Alternatively, normally speaking many people avoid long rains which is between mid-April and May. And to a lesser degree, the short rains of November. Honestly, that is why prices are lower. If you desire to increase night time at the Kenyan beach, I would advise you to avoid this as rainy time.

Thus – as together with Goldilocks – when budget affects your travel, glance at the shoulder season periods. Right now, there is a lot of resident wildlife in Kenya throughout the year, aside from migration. And the safari crowds will end up being less. Get the ball rolling to plan the best dream, Kenya Holiday.

Mode of Safari

What do I mean by that? This is how you want to travel. Largely speaking you have 3 main options.

1. Most expensive safaris are fly-in safaris where you travel in one region to the next. Nevertheless, given the ranges between areas within Kenya, this is very common.
2. In the middle in terms of price is a mix associated with private driving safaris which includes flying thrown in. You drive between closer camps and destinations, yet use flights in order to reach some further-flung destinations like the Samburu Game Reserve.
3. The least expensive is the drive-in safari, usually timetabled

TIP: A personal safari for 4 people, using the scheduled routing may be a similar price to a scheduled excursion. If you are happy to pay a little more, then you can add nights and tailor it to the needs you have more.

How many flights?

A lot of Kenya’s safari regions are considerably apart and so there is an established safari air travel network. Obviously if you fly to several regions and stay only 2 nights in each place, it will cost you more than if you toured at fewer places and stayed 3 night time in each. That will also can make for a more leisurely and enjoyable safari experience!

This is a prominent component in the expense of a safari because the longer a tourist stays in a destination, the more they invest. After all, you have to pay for extra accommodation, transportation, and attractions. A tourist who intends to visit Kenya for a short period is more likely to spend less money than one who wishes to stay in Kenya for an extended time on safari.

When planning a safari vacation to Kenya, you must consider transportation costs and how to move around. You can take a road trip or fly from one location to another while in Kenya. A traveler will always require a comfortable mode of transportation while on a safari vacation. Typically, local tour providers provide 4×4 safari vehicles to their clients. The automobile rental costs include a safari guide as well as petrol. The cost of transportation varies depending on the type of vehicle used by the visitor. A modified 4×4 safari land cruiser, for example, is more expensive than a Toyota Prado or van, and their fuel consumption differs. In the case of the tour guide, the fee can be the same for all tour companies.

The cost of a Kenya safari might also vary depending on the number of passengers who take a Kenya safari vacation safari. The entire cost of the safari in Kenya rises as the number of clients grows. This is due to the increased demand for tour services such as lodging, tourism activities, and transportation for a more significant number of tourists. As a result, the cost of a Kenya safari fluctuates with the number of guests. The greater the number of visitors on the Tour, the lower the price of a Kenya safari per person if the guests will split the costs of the trip. Discounted accommodation services in Kenya safari lodges or Kenya hotels are also feasible with group trips, which are not always available with individual tours in Kenya.

Most of Kenya’s tourism locations are located far from the capital Nairobi, which serves as the starting point for most safaris in Kenya. When travelers visit these locations, they must always stop for a bite to eat or a meal of the day. Mealtime may arrive while on the road, necessitating a stop and a visit to a local restaurant or hotel to grab food. These meal costs are always included in the price of a Kenya safari. Therefore, it is critical to know that all other meals served at Kenya Safari Parks are always quoted in conjunction with the lodging costs. Most Kenyan lodges and hotels always provide their client’s beds and breakfasts at the same fee.

Safari in Kenya with a long history Tipping paid by tourists to service professionals such as tour guides, waiters, and housekeepers who serve them during their Kenya safari is always included in the price of the package. In addition, most tourists want to acquire cultural/traditional items to take home with them. Some tour providers include the cost of souvenirs in the overall price of the Kenya safari. As a result, when a visitor chooses to purchase a particular item, the tour guide representing the company pays for it.

The below factors give the answers

• Consider traveling of the peak season where possible.
• Choose a private guide and driver over a fly-in safari : particularly if there are 4 or 5 of you
• Try not to move around constantly as these consumes into your budget. And wastes time packing and undoing
• Scheduled safaris are an option if you are travelling budget safari, or a solo traveler. However, you tend to travel at a quicker pace and stay in the bigger safari “hotels”
• Adding some evenings at the beach in Kenya reduces the average nighttime cost and allows you to have a longer time away than if you did only safaris. This is also a natural way to relax after the early mornings and long days on safari.

Will I Enjoy a Budget Safari?

For that reason, the question you may well be wanting to know is, Can I enjoy a budget Safari? You might not have the budget that costs more than $1700 so you must be adding the price of international flights and various other additional costs just like travel insurance.

To answer this, although a budget safari to Kenya would not include all the bells and whistles which come with safaris that are even more high-end, you will view animals and experience similar landscapes and sceneries and those who will probably be paying much money. The only difference will always be that your hotel will be far more modest and the transport somewhat significantly less fancy.

Those things you will want to be a lot more careful with is just what type of company your book your African safari tour with. You could be searching for a very good bargain but end up on a horrendous experience when you don’t consider time to examine the reputation of the particular safari company you intend to use.

Please take several time to browse the detail guide I actually wrote about how to select a safari company for your African Safari. it has a very valuable framework to support you pick a company that will offer you the sort of safari you happen to be expecting.

Also, Search for online reviews of a safari company you expect to use on independent sites just like Sight View Safaris. Also, read through about the varieties of experience of people have encountered on the actual safari you’re thinking about planning for.

Are Luxury Safaris Worth It?

One more thing you might be wondering is actually Luxury safaris are worth their price. I have never visited a luxury safari experience and my viewpoint may be skewed but here it is:

While luxury safari encounters are extraordinary, I feel that you would acquire a fairly similar comfort on a mid-range safari without having to spend a lot of money for a luxury safari. If you have the plan for it, I would recommend going on a luxury safari since it will be an event of a lifetime.

Masai Mara Safari Cost

Almost all safari itineraries in Kenya will include the Maasai Mara. This makes Maasai Mara the most popular Kenya safari destination and most expensive to tour during the peak season. There is the Maasai Mara inside the itineraries of Budget, Mid-Range and Luxury Safaris.

It would likely be challenging to put a specific cost to tour Masai Mara since many safari companies’ combine Masai Mara and other National parks on one safari itinerary their budget line.

Typically, the differences emerge regarding accommodation each sort of safari presents to its tourists.

Travelling on a budget safari also comes with low-cost camps in the Masai Mara and outside the Game reserve.

Touring on a Mid-range safari makes you sleep in safari lodges and tented camps that offer more amenities that budget safari.

Booking a luxury safari makes you enjoy most exclusive and comfortable safari lodges with in the Masai Mara with exclusive view that stretches of the park.

Amboseli NP Safari Cost

Just as the Maasai Mara, Amboseli National Park is also very popular and would be incorporated into many safari itineraries. I’m not able to give an exact amount of how much you expect spend when visiting the Amboseli National Park but here is what I found,

You must expect to spend more than the average safari holiday who visit the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru National Park since this park is a little bit outside from the Maasai Mara – Lake Nakuru circuit. Just to save time you could have to catch a flight to Amboseli and this will add to the cost of visiting the park.

Most cheap National parks in Kenya are the ones near major cities. With these National parks, you don’t need in order to book Safari lodges or hotels just catering to tourists. this, therefore, decreases the biggest price in your safari encounter: accommodation. If  you are on the tight budget, listed below are the national parks you should take into account visiting before doing a safari Kenya:

1. The Nairobi National Park

Situated only a few minutes from your Nairobi city, Nairobi National Park will be ideal in case you are on a budget safari or limited on time.

Spend your night in Nairobi’s hotels plus visit the National Park using a rental safari car. This will significantly reduce your cost and you may not need to use a Safari company for this tour.

2. Lake Nakuru National Park

Situated a few minutes from Nakuru town, this can be another National Park you should visit if you are on a budget safari.

You may decide not to use a safari company because you can access the Park by renting a car and find accommodation within Nakuru town in a regular hotel.

It’s important for me to say here that Lake Nakuru National Park is not very large and can be viewed totally in one day.

Due to this, you may also want to blend it with a hike at Hell’s Gate National Park which does not have many animals but has beautiful scenery and beautiful water cut gorges.

This is because they are far and time consuming for any tourist to reach them, so they definitely cost much more than visiting more popular National parks that have better-developed facilities.

In addition to this, the requirements of ensuring that will you are comfortable in these remote National parks makes them more expensive daily than some the more high-visited Nationap parks. One of the most expensive national parks in Kenya are:

Samburu National Reserve

Samburu national reserve is situated pretty a long way off from the common safari routine and this can make it an even more remote park. I attempted looking for correct information on costs plus the best I actually could find had been $600 per night for one of the hotels right.

Is using a Tour Company cheaper?

Among the things you could be wondering about is whether by using a Tours and Travel company will be less expensive for you when going on a safari in Kenya.

using a safari company is certainly not cheaper than touring on your own because these companies help in minimizing the effort of organizing all aspects of your safari yourself.

You will be billed for this service through the higher total cost of a safari than if you organize it yourself. This will make travelling with a tours and travels company more expensive than traveling independently and planning your safari on your own but put it in mind that still you might be cheated by service provides you find your way and chances of being kid napped are possible, so tour companies act as a security to you and help you in terms of language interpretation.

At this time, I possess to warn a person that although this is achievable to plan your safari yourself and never use a tour company, this might not be really recommended because you will certainly have to deal with all of the factors organizing a great Africa safari.

What is worse is that will you simply might end up spending more than you would have paid a good organized safari company. This really is since you might not obtain the special prices and discounts safari companies receive because of to the truth that they may be bigger customers that have the particular benefit of volume plus high-frequency purchases.

Most Expensive time to go on Safari

Probably the most expensive times to take safari is throughout the peak season lately June to late September. This will be because this is actually the greatest time to observe wildlife and will be also the period the great migration is occurring within the Masai Mara Game Reserve.

The majority of national parks within Kenya have the large number of tourists throughout this time. This makes you compete for available safari lodges or hotel rooms with other tourists.

The Most Affordable time to go on Safari in Kenya

You may get the biggest discounts in case you visit Kenya during the rainy months of October to November and March to June. The majority of the national parks will experience wet conditions that are not normally very perfect for spotting animals.

The downside to this particular fact you might not see as numerous animals while you might expect and, even worse, could get trapped within the mud in one of the national parks.

Alternatives to A Kenya Safari

With my research, I found that safaris to Uganda are cheaper than the ones in Kenya and you may want to look at Uganda if you are on a tight budget.

Some sort of number of the parks in Uganda have paved roads and would be easily possible with a local rental car.

The cost to safari companies will certainly not be really the only expense you are planning to incur if coming to Kenya for your safari Kenya.

1) Flights: Travel arrangements will form some sort of important portion involving your jungle safari budget and put this in mind if planning your safari kenya. Booking early will assist in getting the best cost savings and you could check out International Flight Deals in Sky scanner.

2. Vaccinations: You need to be able to vaccinate yourself towards common illnesses right here in Kenya. Diseases like malaria are very common and you require to prepare oneself by getting the particular necessary shots in addition to prescriptions if have any medical problem.
3. Travel Insurance policy: Arguably the primary investment when heading on safari, this is vital that you get a good insurance coverage that will protect throughout the safari in any kind of risks that you might come across on your safari.
4. Additional Accommodation: You may possibly arrive a time before your safari commences or devote an extra time before your trip is scheduled and you will need to pay for this accommodation.
5. Gift items and Souvenirs: An individual probably wants to be able to carry gifts together with you when heading back home in order to see your close friends and family. When you have many close friends and family, the whole cost of getting these souvenirs may cost much.
6. Time upon the Beach: has I said before, period on the beach may well not be part of your safari package. Should you be enthusiastic on visiting the beach, you may need to know how much you are going to invest period in the resorts at the Kenyan coast.

As you organize your safari to Africa, I would like to recommend a few products that would help make your life easier.

1. Shoes: I recommend that you check the Keen Hiking shoes. I have written an extensive article on the best shoes for an African safari and this shoe checks all the boxes for things you should look for when choosing a shoe for Africa.
2. Camera: If you are not big on photography, I would not advise you to buy a brand-new camera for your African safari. Good cameras can be expensive and buying a camera you will not use is not a good use of your limited budget. I advise that you rent a camera instead and Lens Rentals have a great Safari Camera Kit perfect for someone traveling to Africa. If you are thinking of getting into photography, then you can invest in a new camera but before you do, check out my pick for the best Safari Camera for a Beginner.
3. Information About Africa: I have created a YouTube channel that focuses on things about traveling to Africa that only Africans can tell you about. Check out the channel for insights about African culture and things you can do as a traveler to optimize your trip. You should also visit TripAdvisor forum posts (Here is the Kenya Forum) and ask questions about your particular situation. There are a lot of people who are happy to help you out.
4. Selecting a Safari Company: I have written an extensive article on how to choose a safari Company. You can. Check it out before starting the process of searching for a safari company.
5. Consulting Session: If you have any questions you would like to ask me about Kenya, I would invite you to contact me for a 30-minute consultation session where I will share my knowledge about East Africa and share experiences that will help you make your safari easier. Reach out to me on email – [email protected] or WhatsApp me on; +256705152084